Hide My Soul: A Romantic Suspense Thriller Novel (Hide Me Series Book 4) (5 page)

Katerina gazed out the window as the limousine sped towards the North Shore. The litter of traffic and highways fell away, replaced by palm trees, open fields, beaches on one side and mountains on the other.

Her hand went to her hair and patted it gently to make sure everything was still in place. She stole a glance at herself in the dim reflection of the retaining wall between her compartment and the driver's compartment. Her hair was twisted in an elegant updo, in a beautiful style she had never worn before. Her hand stole out to caress her silk, exquisite, cap-sleeved, pearl-adorned wedding dress with the fit ending just under her bottom, where it would then flare out like a ballroom gown.

This dress hadn't come with a veil, and the shoes were nothing more than pearl-lined straps that fit over one toe, off-setting the luxuriousness with simplicity. She was in love with the dress, and she hoped she could pull it off.

They had spent three hours in the wedding shop, trying on dress after dress, until the woman had brought out this one and Katerina had known she had to have it. It had needed a slight nip in the waist to make it fit perfectly and that had taken another hour. Jordan picked the first dress they offered her, but Katerina had to admit it was gorgeous. An off the shoulder, plum-colored, pouf-skirt, that set off her hair and skin tone perfectly.

They had skipped the planned manicure and pedicure, grabbed a quick lunch, and then gotten their hair and makeup done. They now had only an hour and a half before sunset, the perfect time to take wedding pictures. Katerina wondered if West was already waiting for her at the private cove next to Turtle Bay where their wedding would be held. At least the weather was perfect. Hot, a bit of a breeze to cool the senses, puffy clouds on the horizon, and the sun racing them to their destination.

Katerina forced herself to take a deep breath. They would make it. She had the perfect dress, and she would make it in time for the perfect wedding, she knew it.

Jordan sat to the left of her, typing away on her phone.

Katerina stilled her own thoughts and craned her neck to see over Jordan's shoulder. "Who are you talking to?"

"Blaise, I'm just making sure everything is ready up there."

Katerina's eyes fell on the words
fuck you until you scream
, and she pulled back quickly, a blush flying to her cheeks. She covered her mouth with her hands and giggled.

Jordan glanced over at her. "What? He said everything is fine. And now he's telling me what we're going to do tonight." A grin tugged at her lips.

Katerina giggled harder. "Oh my God, remind me never to look at your phone again."

"Don't ever look at my phone again. You might see something that will tarnish your innocence."

"Ok." Katerina sank back into her seat, shaking her head. "It's
my
wedding night, you know."

"What? Other people can't have sex on your wedding night?" Jordan leaned over, putting her phone in Katerina's lap. "Quit complaining or I'll show you the dick pic he sent me this morning."

Katerina covered her eyes quickly, cupping her hands so as not to smudge her makeup. "Please don't. I could go happily to my grave without ever seeing Blaise's dick."

"You wouldn't say that if you knew how big it was," Jordan said quickly, perfect confidence in her voice. "I bet he's got a good two inches on West."

Katerina sat up straight, outraged. "You don't know that! West is big too, you know! Way above average!"

"Maybe you're right. Here, take a look and tell me whose is bigger," Jordan said, holding out her phone.

Katerina slapped her hands to her eyes, forgetting completely about her makeup, as she howled laughter. "No! Keep it away from me! I swear, Jordan, I don't want to see it."

"You don't know what you're missing," Jordan said, with true regret in her voice. "Got any in your phone of West? I could take a look ..."

Katerina peeked out between two fingers, making sure Jordan's phone was nowhere in sight. She dropped her hands. "I most certainly do not! West has never sent me a dick pic!"

Jordan lifted her chin sharply. "Text him. Tell him to send us one. I bet it would look nice in his wedding suit."

Katerina shook her head slowly, her mouth falling open and her giggles finally trailing away. "You're crazy. I'm not asking West for a picture of his dick. And if he sent me one, I wouldn't show it to
you
."

Jordan shrugged as if it didn't matter, and she had won the contest by default. "You shouldn't be so gullible."

Katerina gaped wider, feeling silly now. "What - you - what?" she stuttered.

Jordan laughed and flipped her phone around so Katerina could see the screen. "He never sent me a dick pic. I was kidding."

Katerina pinched the bridge of her nose. Jordan was too much sometimes.

Jordan looked at the window. "We're almost there, have another drink, you need to loosen up. I was just trying to get you to laugh."

Katerina giggled again, lightly. It had worked. She took the offered glass of champagne and drank half of it. She did need to loosen up. This was her wedding and she wanted to be happy, not nervous.

She caught Jordan's eye. "I'll bet you a hundred dollars you do have at least one dick pic on your phone."

Jordan raised her eyebrows. "That's money you'd lose."

"Let me see."

Jordan held out the phone but Katerina held up her hands. "Never mind." She decided she didn't need to know for sure either way.

The limousine slowed and began to turn off of the road into a parking lot. Jordan leaned forward quickly to look at the window. "Is this it?"

"This is the boutique where we get dressed. The hotel is another ten minutes up the road and the cove is a ten minute walk past that."

"We have to walk?" Jordan said, eyeing her heels.

"No, they have an ATV that will take us to the beach."

The limo pulled into the parking lot and a tall, slender woman with flyaway black hair and a mocha complexion came quickly down the steps to greet them.

"That's Pamela, our wedding coordinator," Katerina said.

Pamela pulled open the door before the driver could put the vehicle in park. "Girls," she started, her energy preceding her. "Let's go, let's go, we have to get you beautiful."

She motioned the women inside the boutique and admonished them to go put on their dresses. Katerina retreated to her own private dressing room, feeling surreal. This was it. It was finally here. She pulled off her clothes and began to dress, starting with the white lace corset and tiny panties chosen specifically for under the dress. She then put on her foot covering, and finally stepped into the dress, being careful not to bunch the satin.

Jordan knocked on the door. "Do you need some help with your zipper?"

Katerina opened her door gratefully. Jordan's face lit up when she entered the room. She whistled. "You're going to knock West on his ass."

Katerina turned around, eyeing her reflection in the mirror. She looked nothing like herself. She looked more ... more. More elegant, more beautiful, more sophisticated. She was suddenly reminded of how West used to see her - how she saw herself when she had looked at West's thoughts and feelings using the hated sense and power she used to have. But this time she really looked that way.

Jordan zipped her up and smiled at her in the mirror, clasping her hands together. "I can't believe how beautiful you are, Kat. You're like a princess."

Katerina turned around and took her friend's hand. She felt the tears begin to flow again. "Thanks Jordan," she whispered. "You look great too, I love your dress."

"No crying," Jordan choked out, her own eyes shining brightly. "Hold on." Jordan disappeared, then reappeared with tissues, taking one for herself and giving one to Kat.

They left the dressing room and walked out into the small boutique, Katerina feeling strangely shy.

Pamela gasped when she saw them and held her arms wide, taking Katerina into a soft hug. "Beautiful. Let's give you the finishing touches."

She hurried over to the counter and opened a plastic container. "This is a haku lei, and I ordered it for you when I thought you were going to wear something understated. But it just won't do now."

Katerina peeked at the lei in the container. It was circular, and smaller than the lei West had ordered for her when they arrived. Instead of being made with only one or two flowers, it consisted of a brilliant splash of pointed, green fern leaves, accented with white and purple flowers. It took Katerina's breath away.

Pamela took out the lei and laid it on the counter, then reached into a drawer for scissors. Katerina winced as Pamela cut the lei into pieces. "It's supposed to go on your head, but it's too heavy for a gown that amazing. We'll fix that." She cut a small portion and pulled a bobby pin from a small pile. "Turn your head."

Katerina did, and Pamela fixed one green leaf with one white and one purple flower to Katerina's hair in the back. "Now the other way." Katerina turned again and another piece of the lei was pinned to the other side.

Katerina looked in the wide mirror on the wall, scarcely able to believe she was looking at herself. Pamela had been right. The flowers looked wonderful the way she had done them.

"Now you," Pamela said to Jordan. "How about a piece over just one ear for you?"

Jordan nodded and Pamela finished the job. "Ok girls, we gotta go. The sun sets in forty minutes."

Pamela handed Katerina her bouquet, a striking, trailing garland of more purple, white, plus some pink flowers, then she grabbed all the bags and they flew out the door, Katerina carefully picking her way over the parking lot so as not to hurt her practically bare feet or dirty her dress.

Pamela chattered the entire way to the hotel, mostly about the lighting at sunset and how the photographer and videographer would position themselves. Katerina felt a strange, liquid anxiousness trying to push its way into her consciousness. She was hyper-aware of her heart pounding, the breath gasping in and out of her lungs, and a strange tingling in her hands. Joys and jitters clamored in her head.

Jordan handed her another glass of champagne, then rubbed one of her shoulders. "It's almost time," she whispered, pitching her voice low to be heard under the higher tone of Pamela.

They pulled into the parking lot of the hotel and Katerina saw the four-seater ATV waiting for them. She pushed out of the car and realized she would never make it through the wedding. "I have to pee," she said to no one in particular, her voice jumping.

Pamela pointed her to the hotel. "The bathrooms will be on your left. We'll wait for you. I'll hold your bouquet."

Katerina walked in the hotel lobby, enjoying the cool air-conditioning. A small girl who was standing behind her parents at the check-in desk, no more than four years old, locked eyes with her, watching her pick her way carefully through the foyer.

The little girl finally ran to her, ignoring her parent's warnings. "Are you a princess?" the girl asked.

"No, but I feel like one," Katerina said, meaning every word of it.

Katerina found the bathroom, down a rather long hallway, and quickly did her business, staring at herself in the mirror as she washed her hands, carefully keeping her dress away from the counter. So this was why women couldn't wait to get married. To spend one day looking and feeling like this.

She dried her hands and pushed open the door, holding up her dress carefully. She turned quickly to head back down the hallway and ran right into a man who had been standing behind the door. He looked like a maintenance man, or maybe someone working on the electricity in the hotel. He had on dark sunglasses, a non-descript blue jumpsuit, and heavy gloves.

"Sorry," she mumbled, and tried to get out of his way. She stepped to the right at the same time as he did. She tried left, and he stepped that way too. His gloved hands grasped her upper arms and she looked at him, eyes wide, not sure what was happening.

"Katerina!" Jordan yelled from the lobby. "Hurry, they are waiting on us!"

The man let go of Katerina so suddenly she almost fell, then rushed past her without a word. She stared after him, confused. What had that been about?

Jordan rushed down the hallway and grabbed her by the upper arm, pulling her back the way she had come. "We've got twenty minutes or we miss the sunset, shake a leg!"

Katerina forgot completely about the strange man and rushed along the hallway with Jordan. They exited the lobby, climbed into the ATV, and were off. Katerina watched the sunset over the horizon, trying not to stare at it. It was a brilliant, deep orange, and hung huge over the steel-gray water below it. In a few moments, a hidden cove opened up before them, its white sand perfectly framed by the vivid orb descending towards the horizon.

Agnes sat in a chair off to one side, but directly in front of her, five men stood strong and tall on the sand - a pastor she and West had met with a few times, Blaise, Brody, Sam, and West. Katerina's face flushed and she forgot to breathe as she looked over the men.

West had planned on wearing a simple shirt that had matched the dress Jordan had vetoed. But he stood before her in an elegant white tuxedo, complete with white shoes and a champagne-colored vest and tie, plus a purple boutonnière that was a match to one of the flowers in her hair. He also wore an open, strikingly green, masculine, maile leaf lei that hung down to his waist and contrasted deliciously with his outfit. She'd never seen him look so handsome.